A battery for storing electrical energy should be operated in a temperature range that supports a long lifetime of the battery. When a battery is charged electrical energy is stored to the battery for later use. When the energy stored to the battery is used to supply power to an appliance, e.g. an electrical motor, the battery is discharged.
A typical operating temperature for a lithium-ion battery is between 0-45° C. If the temperature exceeds 45° C., the battery may be degraded. When the temperature of the battery is higher than 45° C., electrolytes inside the battery starts to degrade, which may cause pressure inside battery cells. The pressure may accumulate inside the battery and it may be discharged from the battery along with the electrolytes, whereby personnel and equipment nearby the battery may be in danger.
A battery typically used in a mining vehicle may supply an electrical power of 100 kW, when the vehicle is operated. After the battery is discharged it has to be replaced with a new one or charged. During charging of the battery, the vehicle is out of production, whereby its efficiency is decreased. The battery may be charged fast if a significantly higher power, for example 800 kW, is used to charge the battery. However, the high charging power may cause the battery to heat up significantly more than during operation of the mining vehicle and discharging of the battery.